DRC Emergency Response

Emergency vision

DRC operates in over 40 countries, addressing urgent needs in some of the most severe humanitarian emergencies worldwide, including Afghanistan, DR Congo, Lebanon, Mali, Myanmar, oPt, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela. DRC works with local partners to enhance the impact and sustainability of emergency responses, ensuring the effectiveness and relevance of the assistance.

DRC’s objective in emergency response is that people affected by displacement have their basic human rights upheld in a safe and accountable environment.

DRC’s emergency vision is based on three principles:

1. Obligation to respond: DRC prepares for and responds to save lives and alleviate immediate suffering, where displacement has occurred or is likely to occur.
2. Responding with ambition: DRC delivers rapid, principled, quality services and assistance, which are responsive to the scale and scope of humanitarian needs. 
3. Whole of organisation approach: DRC mobilises across HQ, regions, and countries to ensure DRC and partner colleagues on the ground have consistent support to deliver. 

Our effectiveness in emergencies hinges on our ability to rapidly scale up and adapt our activities in response to sudden shocks caused by political and societal upheaval, violent conflict, food insecurity, and extreme climate and weather events.

This requires ongoing learning and improvement of our organizational capacity, ensuring that we implement systematic, context-specific approaches, and better align our resources during emergency responses. 

DRC's current emergency responses

DRC is delivering life-saving humanitarian response activities in Gaza to respond to the humanitarian needs created by the conflict, and ongoing blockade.

As the situation evolves, DRC and partners will continue to adapt to emerging needs, and to reach affected people across Gaza. Priorities include:

• Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding (HDP): Increased population movement, particularly towards Rafah and North Gaza, is expected to heighten explosive ordnance (EO) risks. DRC is delivering Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) efforts by deploying additional staff, expanding mass media sensitisation campaigns, and integrating EO risk messaging into other humanitarian activities.
• Victim Assistance (VA): DRC intends to provide cash and voucher assistance and referral support while ensuring effective sector coordination
• Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM): DRC aims to support population movement tracking, flow monitoring, and site-to-site monitoring, helping humanitarian actors plan aid distribution effectively. Plans include continuing site management services for IDPs in displacement sites, rebuilding critical infrastructure such as water tanks and sanitation systems, and providing emergency shelter kits for those in damaged dwellings.
• Protection: DRC is planning to expand services to newly accessible populations, addressing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) needs for both community members and frontline workers.

Emergency Phases

Anticipatory Action

DRC targets communities at risk of displacement before they have to leave their home due to a shock (conflict, natural disaster, etc...) and seek safer places.

First line Response

DRC implements life-saving activities for displaced individuals who left their home due to a shock and are transiting to a safer place.

Second line Response

DRC supports individuals who have reached a safer place after being displaced from their home, and are no longer in transit.

Third line Response

DRC plans recovery and long-term solutions for displaced individuals when they feel safe to return to the place they left.

Emergency capacities

DRC continuously aims to increase the speed at which we respond to emergencies and expand the scope and impact of our emergency work, including enhancing our anticipatory action approach.

DRC achieves this through expanding its flexible funding for rapid and quality responses to sudden emergencies and anticipatory action and strengthening DRC Emergency Response Surge Team (EMPACT).

Global Emergency Response Fund

The Global Emergency Response Fund (GERF) is intended to kick-start emergency interventions addressing unforeseen shocks and emergencies and ensuring life-saving needs are met.

Emergency funds are allocated on an ad hoc basis and DRC ensures their proper allocation, prompt disbursement, and transparent reporting.

Emergency Response Surge Team (EMPACT)

EMPACT is a specialized global team within DRC, established in 2014, and comprised of highly skilled senior emergency staff. The team is prepared for rapid deployment within 48 hours to areas where humanitarian needs are most pressing. EMPACT staff also receive intensive emergency response training.